WEDNESDAY April 10, 2024
Grace and Peace
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 1:2
In Paul’s salutation to the church of Ephesus, he did not place the word peace before grace. There is no possible way that a child of God can receive God’s peace until he has received His grace. Grace must always be first in the life of a believer. The Greek word for grace is charis and the word peace in the Hebrew language is shalom. These words were used as greetings.
In context, when you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you receive God’s grace––His unmerited favor freely given. The grace of God allows His peace to fall upon your life. In the Greek language, the word peace is eirene, meaning “one, peace, quietness, rest, set at one again.”
It is the same word Jesus used when He spoke to His disciples: Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid (John 14:27). This is also described as the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God, is content with its earthly lot.
Sadly, many Christians do not have God’s peace reigning in their lives. Instead, they have constant turmoil. They worry about everything and become afraid when seeing the lawlessness and unrest in an unstable world. As you are in Jesus Christ, you have God’s peace. When you are feeling anxious and afraid, put into practice Philippians 4:6-7:
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Rest in the grace and peace of God, knowing that He loves you!
Grace remits sin, and peace quiets the conscience. Sin and conscience torment us, but Christ has overcome these fiends now and forever.
~Martin Luther~